I opened my travel dairies and started searching about the place I loved the most and about the most memorable trip I made in all these years. I wondered, Should I write about my very first trip with my friends to Sikkim? It was an unforgettable experience for us to travel in second class of the train for 3 days from Ahmedabad to Kolkata. We spent an entire day on the Kolkata platform as we had the connecting train to New Jalpaiguri only in the evening. All of us were alien to such an experience as until now we had made comfortable trips with our parents. It was the first time we were travelling alone. We were so excited and oh so much fun we had! I still remember the late nights we spent, the never ending talks and giggles, sharing of secrets, the madness of a bunch of teenage girls, the secret admiration for the cute boys along with us on the trip. That was so much fun!
Or should I write about my honeymoon trip to the Golden City Jaisalmer known for its ravishing palaces, temples and undulating sand dunes. This trip definitely holds a special place in my heart. But what should I write about the place when I was only mesmerised and lost into the deep green eyes of my hubby.
I even thought about writing about my trip to the Indonesian island of Bali. Bali has a varied landscape of hills and mountains, rugged coastlines and sandy beaches, lush green rice terraces and barren volcanic hillsides. This trip was indeed special as it was the first foreign trip for me, my husband and my daughter. Also this was a very special trip as we made fabulous memories together since the busy life of the metro didn’t provide us the liberty of spending a luxurious time with each other.
But then I wondered that though each of these trips is firmly etched in my memory and is each one is a memorable first but which one of these is the most significant one? I could not choose one. Rather I was not completely convinced that there is one place among these that I would want to write about, as I wanted to write about the most important place for me.
Instinctively my heart answered – The home where I grew up. My home was rightly named ‘Aashray’! It was the first home my daddy bought and it holds a special place in our lives. It’s very important for me as I was very excited to move into that home from a rented one as we could truly call it our own. I was a very excited 10 year old girl as I would have my own independent room! I would have my own room, own cupboard, own space. I had always wanted a space where I can keep my girly secrets locked up which no one could intrude on or won’t land in the hands of my parents by chance.
Though I moved in the home with excitement for my own room but today when I look back, the memories of spending 15 years is what I treasure the most. The time I spent with my friends. Playing hide and seek, badminton and various games in the compound of the building.
After my marriage my father moved to Hyderabad. He decided to sell the home. I was heart- broken as I didn’t want to give away the home where I grew up; I was very attached to the place. God answered my prayers. He must have recognised my love for my home me that my uncle decided to buy the home. I was overjoyed. Now I won’t need to give it away. I could visit it anytime.
But in a few years my husband had to move to another city for work and I do not get a chance to visit it frequently but whenever I do, all the memories of that home come rushing back to me. As I set my foot in the society all the visuals of me running around as a child in the building compound engulf me. While I climb the stairs I can visualise myself sitting and chatting with my friends. I visualise me and my friends running up and down the stairs cheering for the Indian cricket team while they played Pakistan.
I guess childhood memories are most precious to us and thus my home at Ahmedabad is the place which I would like to feature today for the Write Tribe festival of Words.
My uncle has renovated the home, and my room is now my cousin’s room and it doesn’t have my writing desk, my cupboard, my bed, my treasured possessions but still has the same vibes, the same love for me.
I am taking part in The Write Tribe festival Of Words #6
